Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Diversity in the Tomato Rhizosphere of Riparian and Non Riparian Zones through Culture-Independent Approach

Bacterial communities in soil ecosystems play pivotal roles in nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition and maintaining soil fertility, critical for sustaining agricultural productivity. This study explores the microbial diversity and community dynamics in rhizospheric soils of tomato plants from riparian and non-riparian zones in Bihar, India, leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) metagenomics. Physicochemical analyses revealed significant differences in soil properties between the two sites, influenced by their proximity to the Ganga River floodplain. Metagenomic analysis using the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene identified distinct microbial compositions and abundances in Soil1T16s (riparian) and Soil2T16s (non-riparian). Actinobacteria dominated both samples, with Proteobacteria and Firmicutes showing varying abundances. Taxonomic assignments highlighted specific bacterial classes, orders, families, genera and some species unique to each sample, indicating environmental adaptation and functional diversity. Notably, Soil1T16s exhibited higher diversity and unique taxa potentially influenced by floodplain deposits, while Soil2T16s showed adaptations to drier conditions away from the river. This research underscores the ecological importance of microbial communities in agricultural soils and provides insights into their roles in ecosystem functioning and resilience.